--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being free is as difficult and as…" description: "\"“Being free is as difficult and as perpetual — or rather fighting for one’s freedom, struggling towards being free, is like struggling to be a poet or ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/maya-angelou-104_buddhism_being-free-is-as-difficult-and-as-perpet_1478509.jpg" --- # Being free is as difficult and as perpetual — or rather… ![“Being free is as difficult and as perpetual — or rather fighting for one’s freedom, struggling towards being free, is like struggling to be a poet or a good Christian or a good jew or a good Moslem or a good Zen Buddhist. You work all day long and achieve some kind of level of success by…” quote by Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/maya-angelou-104_buddhism_being-free-is-as-difficult-and-as-perpet_1478509.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/maya-angelou-104_buddhism_being-free-is-as-difficult-and-as-perpet_1478509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9d/maya-angelou-104_buddhism_being-free-is-as-difficult-and-as-perpet_1478509.jpg) > ““Being free is as difficult and as perpetual — or rather fighting for one’s freedom, struggling towards being free, is like struggling to be a poet or a good Christian or a good jew or a good Moslem or a good Zen Buddhist. You work all day long and achieve some kind of level of success by nightfall, go to sleep and wake up in the next morning with the job still to be done. So you start all over again.”” [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Continuous struggle for freedom resembles the endless effort of mastering any deep vocation, requiring daily dedication despite recurring setbacks. **In simple terms:** Freedom demands constant effort like mastering a craft. Key Takeaway Commit daily to your freedom goals. Themes freedom dedication spirituality Mood reflective determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - social activism - spiritual practice - daily routines Key Concepts existentialism perseverance identity Questions to Reflect On - What daily habit sustains your sense of freedom? - How do you balance struggle with peace? A Different Perspective Even with effort, external constraints may limit true freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Difficult Perpetual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-perpetual-5383214/) [Fighting Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting-freedom/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Struggling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-struggling-1303794/) [Like Struggling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-struggling-257540/) [Struggling Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggling-free-1543221/) ## Related quotes > [Fighting for one's freedom, struggling towards being free, is like struggling to be a poet or a good Christian or a good Jew or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/fighting-for-one-s-freedom-struggling-towards-being-free-is-like/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“I don’t know which side everybody’s on any more, and I don’t really care. There is a moment when we have to transcend the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-simmons/i-don-t-know-which-side-everybody-s-on-any-more-and-i-don-t-really/) [Sylvie Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-simmons/) > [There is an angel within the monkey struggling to get free, and this is what the historical crisis is all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/there-is-an-angel-within-the-monkey-struggling-to-get-free-and-this/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Struggling against yourself to free yourself interfering in others affairs is exhausting in the beginning, but easy at the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-al-arifi/struggling-against-yourself-to-free-yourself-interfering-in-others/) [Dr Al-Arifi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-al-arifi/) > [O wretched state! O bosom black as death! O limed soul that, struggling to be free, art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay! Bow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-wretched-state-o-bosom-black-as-death-o-limed-soul-that-struggling/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I tried so hard. I tried my best. I gave you my all, and now there's nothing left. You stole my heart, then tore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-bassam/i-tried-so-hard-i-tried-my-best-i-gave-you-my-all-and-now-there-s/) [Ali Bassam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-bassam/) > [I believe I was a codependent out of the womb and have been struggling to free myself from its vice-like grip for many, many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-de-cadenet/i-believe-i-was-a-codependent-out-of-the-womb-and-have-been/) [Amanda de Cadenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-de-cadenet/) > [“Bound only by the paper-thin wrapper of mortality, a soul here lies, struggling to be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ingerson/bound-only-by-the-paper-thin-wrapper-of-mortality-a-soul-here-lies/) [Eric Ingerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ingerson/) > [“She's a strong woman. She has wings under her armour struggling to be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verliza-gajeles/she-s-a-strong-woman-she-has-wings-under-her-armour-struggling-to-be/) [Verliza Gajeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/verliza-gajeles/) > [I tried to dance in my earlier films, but it was more like struggling to stay afloat once you are thrown into the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emraan-hashmi/i-tried-to-dance-in-my-earlier-films-but-it-was-more-like-struggling/) [Emraan Hashmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emraan-hashmi/) > [I feel like I still am struggling in a lot of different ways. I still have to fight for certain things. Certain jobs. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-gershon/i-feel-like-i-still-am-struggling-in-a-lot-of-different-ways-i-still/) [Gina Gershon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-gershon/) > [I went through the process of auditioning like every other struggling actress in this town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taryn-manning/i-went-through-the-process-of-auditioning-like-every-other-struggling/) [Taryn Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taryn-manning/) > [What I find kind of annoying as a woman, especially in this society, is how people like to support people who seem like they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoon-ahn/what-i-find-kind-of-annoying-as-a-woman-especially-in-this-society-is/) [Yoon Ahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoon-ahn/) > [I was giving people $15,000 checks, my friends that, like, we're struggling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-pratt/i-was-giving-people-15-000-checks-my-friends-that-like-we-re/) [Spencer Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-pratt/) > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More by Maya Angelou > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“You are very kind and very intelligent and those elements are not always found together. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-are-very-kind-and-very-intelligent-and-those-elements-are-not/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I agreed a long time ago, I would not live at any cost. 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Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/life-is-going-to-give-you-just-what-you-put-in-it-put-your-whole/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-write-me-down-in-history-with-your-bitter-twisted-lies-you/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [The more you know of your history, the more liberated you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/the-more-you-know-of-your-history-the-more-liberated-you-are/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Life offers us tickets to places which we have not knowingly asked for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/life-offers-us-tickets-to-places-which-we-have-not-knowingly-asked-for/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm working at trying to be a Christian, and that's serious business. It's like trying to be a good Jew, a good Muslim, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-m-working-at-trying-to-be-a-christian-and-that-s-serious-business/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Nathaniel Hawthorne once said that easy reading is damn hard writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/nathaniel-hawthorne-once-said-that-easy-reading-is-damn-hard-writing/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Sunday, if I'm lucky, I'll go to church or listen to some good spiritual advice on the television or on the radio. I take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/sunday-if-i-m-lucky-i-ll-go-to-church-or-listen-to-some-good/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) [Explore all 1,313 Maya Angelou quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) ## More Buddhism quotes > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. 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I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. 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After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) [Browse all 6,100 Buddhism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Being free is as difficult and as perpetual — or rather fighting for one’s freedom, struggling towards being free, is like struggling to be a poet or a good Christian or a good jew or a good Moslem or a good Zen Buddhist. You work all day long and achieve some kind of level of success by nightfall, go to sleep and wake up in the next morning with the job still to be done. 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